BuEEATJ OF Ageictjlttjbe. 219 



It was tlie good fortune of the Board of Trade at this 

 juncture to have Dr. Fred Mutchler, a representative of 

 the Federal Department of Agriculture, as well as of 

 the State Department, in charge of the work of both in 

 Kentucky, to be present and address one of the meetings. 

 This was an overflow meeting at the court house 'at 

 which several hundred were present. At the conclusion 

 of this meeting a list of names was taken of those who 

 were willing to express themselves as sufficiently inter- 

 ested in the movement to be identified with it in the event 

 of an organization, but still without obligation on their 

 part to pay anything or do anything. In the meantime, 

 those who were instrumental in starting the movement 

 had made their plans to raise a fund by voluntary sub- 

 scriptions from the banks and citizens of Paducah, and 

 those of the country who were willing to contribute of 

 from $4,000.00 to $5,000.00 per year to be subscribed for 

 not less than three years. Dr. Mutchler asked for a con- 

 ference of those in charge of the organization, and stated 

 that he was much impressed with the fact that this mat- 

 ter had been taken up by the business men and bankers 

 of the city; that he liked the spirit shown by them of de- 

 siring to lend their assistance and experience in or- 

 ganization to agricultural interests of the country; that 

 he believed that if the organization were willing to place 

 its work under the direction of the State and Federal 

 government, that he could get an appropriation from 

 the Federal Department of Agriculture to be applied on 

 the salary of the County Agent, who should have charge 

 of the instruction and general work of the organization. 

 Of course, the organization committee was delighted to 

 have the benefit of the intelligence and experience of Dr. 

 Mutchler, and he was authorized to select any agent 

 that he was willing to recommend for the work, and that 

 such arrangements as he desired would be made for the 

 work to be done under his direction. An appropriation 

 of $1,200.00 was then obtained from the fiscal court of 

 the county to be applied on the salary of the county 

 agent. This with the $600.00 paid from the government 

 for the same purpose was more than sufficient to pay the 

 salary of the County Agent. The McCracken County 

 Growers' Association was then organized as a corpora- 



